Assateague Gets Fed’s Matching Funds

ASSATEAGUE – Assateague Island National Seashore got a much needed financial shot in the arm last week when federal officials announced the park was one of 76 national parks across the country to receive Centennial Challenge matching funds.

The National Parks Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, and in preparation for the centennial, the country’s national parks are being invigorated for the next century. Earlier this year, President George W. Bush challenged the parks to seek philanthropic donations and promised the private sector contributions would be matched with federal dollars.

Assateague Island National Seashore and it private partners embraced the challenge and were able to raise roughly $65,000 for the Centennial Challenge. Consequently, federal officials last weekend announced Assateague was in line for $65,000 in matching funds, bringing the park’s total amount raised to $130,000. The surprise announcement came on the heels of a beach clean-up day held at Assateague in conjunction with National Junior Ranger Day.

“This is mainly due to our fantastic and very supportive partners, who donated a total of $65,000, which will be matched dollar for dollar with federal funds totaling $130,000,” said Assateague Island National Seashore Superintendent Scott Bentley, who applauded the park’s partners, specifically the Assateague Mobile Sportfishermen’s Association (AMSA), the Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) and a private donor who wished to remain anonymous.

The AMSA donated $50,000 for a marine life exhibit including aquaria for the new visitor’s center on Assateague, which is scheduled to begin construction soon. ACT donated $10,000 and the anonymous private donor added another $5,000, which will be used to complete production on “Back to the Wild,” a film in the works about Assateague’s famous wild horses.

National Seashore Chief of Interpretation and Education Rachelle Daigneault made the announcement last Saturday following the beach clean-up exercise in the Oversand Vehicle Zone in the national park. She was joined by ACT Director and Coastkeeper Kathy Phillips along with AMSA President Bill Justice, vice president Howard Quillen, and director Doug Jones, who all spent time helping with the beach clean-up and providing lunches for the volunteers.

“These are people who care about Assateague, and who, as park partners, share the responsibility of caring for Assateague,” said Daigneault.

Featured Stories

OCEAN CITY — The fate of an iconic building on the east side of the Boardwalk is hanging in the balance this week with the heirs to the property preparing an appeal and the city claiming the site for the public good. Situated on the east side of the Boardwalk at South Division Street, the… Read more »

BERLIN – Plans for a bike path along the railroad tracks in Berlin are expected to move forward following approval of a design proposal. On Monday the Berlin Town Council approved a design and engineering proposal for the Berlin Bikeways Project from Davis, Bowen & Friedel (DBF). Dave Engelhart, the town’s planning director, said all… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – Surfers Healing returned to the beaches of Ocean City this week for a day-long surfing camp that gives children with autism and their families a sense of support and community. On Wednesday, 200 children with autism gathered in front of the Castle in the Sand Hotel where they were given the opportunity… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — An uptown Ocean City property with a tragic past will be redeveloped with a mixed-use commercial and residential project after resort planners this week approved the site plan for the long-awaited redevelopment. The Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a site plan for an addition to the UpTown Center along the west side… Read more »